Improvement in the



'lhtitrd (,Qtstes ORWELL H. NEDHAM, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y

Letters Patent No. 101,152, (lated March 22, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN TREADLES.

The Schedule referred to in theseiLettex-s Ratent and making part of the same To all whom it may con-cern Be it known that I, ORWELL H. NEEDHAM, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Treadle-Motious, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact de'- scription, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsl forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a front. view of a treadle-motion, with my improvement applied thereto;

Figure 2, a sectionall view of the same, taken at right-angles to fig. 1, as indicated by the dotted line erally, irrespective of the purpose to which the sameare designed to be applied, but is more particularly intended` for connection with the trcadle motions of sewing-machines.

The inventionA consists in a shoe arranged over the treadle-shaft, with freedom to turn thereon or around, and made to operate, through' a pawl, on a ratchetwheel secured to the crank-shaft, for starting the latter whenstopping on its dead-center, also for insuring its vforward movement on starting after stopping, whatever the position'.ot` the crank, by which arrangement every facility is aiorded to the operator, who works the treadle, for sett-ing in motion said starting device or mechanism, and the same is free from interference with or by t'he rock-shaft ofthe treadle.

Also, the invention includes an extension of said shoe over thc treadle, so that, in applying the foot or feet to work the latter, the shoe which operates the starting mechanism is depressed orA automatically applied, a-s it were, to act-nate the starter, and is held down during the working of the treadlc without interfering with the application of the foot or feet to the treadle.

Referring, inthe iirstinstanc'e, to figures 1, 2, and

E, the pitman, which connects the treadle with the crank.

Arranged in a free or loose manner, as regards its fulcrum, a, on or over the rock-shaft A, as the Icenter o f motion, is 'a lever, carrying at its free end, or madel to form a shoe, F, which it is preferred. to extend over` the'treadle B, so that, in applying the foot to 'the latter, said shoe will come under the'arch of the foot and in no way interfere with the application ofthe foot to' the treadle, while by such arrangement thestarter of the crank-shaft,.of which said shoe forms apart, is automatically applied, as it were, by theact of applying the foot vorfeet to the treadle.

Ilhe devices used in connection with the slice F toE start the'crank-shaft G over its center, or to insure to it a forward movement whatever the position of the crank, consist of a pawl or dog, G, pivoted to a leverhox, 1I, which ismx'x'angcd loose on the crank-shaft,

and which is connected, by a rod, I, with the'levershoe, said pawl biting into or gearing with a ratchetwheel, J, fast on the crank-shaft, and being held in suitable position to actuate the crank-shatt, or returned toits requisite position therefor after operation by a spring, K, which may either be of rubber or metal, and which is arranged to dra-w on the leverbox-H till arrested by a stop, L, applied to the level'- -shoe F,- or saidspring and stop may ,he otherwise arranged to produce a like action or eiect, and, in

some cases, the lever-slice may be of different order, that is,-the fulcrum may be at one end, the weight or rod I at the other end, and the power to operate it applied inbetween.

It is not necessary, in fact, that the shoe Fl should be of lever-forni, inasmuch as a slotted shoe or slide,

F, arranged to embrace the rock-shaft A., and lying.

over the treadle B with the rod I attached to it, may be used instead,as represented in figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Lettersla'tent, is-

l; The arrangement of the shoe F or F' over the rock-shaft A of the treadle, and so that it is capable of oscillating upon said rock-shaft, in combination with the pawl G, operated by said shoe and ratchet-wheel J on the crank-shaft C, through connecting-rod l, substantially as spcciiicd.

2. The arrangement of the shoe F or F' over or' relatively to the, trcadlc 1i and its rock-shaft ,13, essentially as specified, and for thc purpose herein set forth.

Witnesses: ORWELL li. NEE'DHAM.

Fano. Havane, It. E. Banaan. 

